1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a slide track, particularly a track-based synchronous interlinking device used in a synchronous interlinking mechanism and facilitating superior smooth and accurate slides and economic efficiency.
2. Description of the Related Art
Cabinets with pull-out drawers installed have been extensively applied in all kinds of storage equipment currently wherein each of the drawers to be conveniently pulled or pushed by users is usually integrated with tracks at its both sides for positioning and guiding the drawer, for instance, an internal track and an external track between which a ball bearing carriage is installed. As one component installed between slide tracks for a smooth sliding operation, the ball bearing carriage passing through a first track usually collides a second track, which is not synchronously interlinked to the first one, for continuous movement, causing vibrations, and deteriorating a sliding process.
A technique based on synchronous triple-track interlinking tracks to overcome the above drawbacks has been available now. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a known track-based synchronous interlinking mechanism comprises a lower track 91, a central track 92, an external track 93 and a toothed wheel 95: the lower track 91 comprises (a) a dead plate 911 which is fixed on a cabinet wall (not shown in figures), (b) a slide track space 912 inside, and (c) a row of ruler-like sawteeth 913 beside the slide track space 912; the central track 92 comprises (a) a central track bottom 921 moveably held in the slide track space 912 and coordinating the lower track 91 (slide track space 912) to accommodate a ball bearing carriage 94 in between, (b) a central track top 922, and (c) a toothed wheel hole 923; the external track 93 linking a cabinet or a drawer (not shown in figures) internally develops a slide track space 930 in which the central track top 922 is moveably held, allows a ball bearing carriage 96 to be accommodated between the slide track space 930 (external track 93) and the central track top 922, and further comprises a row of ruler-like sawteeth 932 at one side; the toothed wheel 95 is pivoted to the toothed wheel hole 923 on the central track 92 and engages both the sawteeth 913 of the lower track 91 and the sawteeth 932 of the external track 93 so that the central track 92 is synchronously driven and shifted by the sliding external track 93 through the sawteeth 932 and the toothed wheel 95, both of which engage each other.
The track-based synchronous interlinking mechanism based on the prior art for an effective synchronous interlinking operation still has some drawbacks deserved to be corrected. For example, slide tracks' heights are not reduced because of a toothed wheel 95 and a row of ruler-like sawteeth 913, 932 installed between slide tracks; a toothed wheel and a row of ruler-like sawteeth, both of which are high-cost components, are uneconomic and unideal design; down force (weight) induced by the tilted external track deviates the lower track's axle and causes an unsmooth operation or departure of the track assembly from a cabinet in the case of a toothed wheel and a row of ruler-like sawteeth manufactured with rigid material. Therefore, the abovementioned drawbacks in a conventional track-based synchronous interlinking mechanism deserve to be overcome by persons skilled in the art.
Accordingly, the inventor having considered imperfect structural design and drawbacks of the prior art and attempted to optimize a solution, that is, a track-based synchronous interlinking device moving smoothly and accurately and conforming to a demand for economic design, has studied and developed the present invention for benefiting the general public and promoting development of the industry.